Systems and methods for inspecting pipelines using a pipeline inspection robot

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for robotic inspection of above-ground pipelines are disclosed. Embodiments may include a robotic crawler having a plurality of motors that are individually controllable for improved positioning on the pipeline to facilitate image acquisition. Embodiments may also include mounting systems to house and carry imaging equipment configured to capture image data simultaneously from a plurality of angles. Such mounting systems may be adjustable to account for different sizes of pipes (e.g., 2-40 inches), and may be configured to account for traversing various pipe support structures. Still further, mounting systems may include quick-release members to allow for removal and re-mounting of imaging equipment when traversing support structures. In other aspects, embodiments may be directed toward control systems for the robotic crawler which assist in the navigation and image capture capabilities of the crawler.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to inspection ofabove ground pipelines, and more particularly, to systems and methodsfor creating and utilizing a robot for pipeline inspection.

BACKGROUND

Above ground pipelines develop internal corrosion as well as corrosionunderneath. insulation (“GUI”) on the exterior of the pipe. CUItypically occurs due to a moisture buildup on the external surface ofinsulated equipment. The corrosion itself is most commonly galvanic,chloride, acidic, or alkaline corrosion. If undetected, the results ofCUI can lead to leaks, the eventual shutdown of a pipeline, and in rarecases it may lead to a safety incident. Accordingly, it is important toperiodically inspect above ground pipelines for the presence ofcorrosion.

Current methods of inspecting above ground pipelines have typicallyentailed the erection of scaffolding, hazardous usage of radiationsources, and/or use of imaging equipment mounted on poles and positionedby hand to inspect and image the pipeline. Moreover, existing inspectionmethods generally require multiple series of images to be acquired tocapture multiple angles of view by performing multiple traversals of thepipeline. These manual methods are labor intensive, time consuming, andcostly to entities inspecting their pipelines.

Previous attempts to improve the inspection process have involved asemi-automated collar system with a vehicle mounted to a top of thepipeline. Resulting imagery from such a system has taken the form of avideo or series of film-type images for a single view of the pipeline.Such imagery is also time and labor intensive to review as it requires auser to examine the entire video and/or long series of images.Additionally, multiple views of the pipeline are still needed in orderto properly inspect the pipeline. Similar to manual techniques, thesecollar systems also require multiple traversals of the pipeline toobtain these views, which also results in multiple sets of data to bereviewed. These systems also suffer from further practical issues whichhinder usage. For example, radiation sources and imaging techniquesemployed with the collar system require a large exclusion zone to beutilized where technicians must not enter while collecting images due tohazardous radiation sources employed in the imaging techniques. Theimaging systems are also heavy, which hinders the operability of therespective vehicle.

SUMMARY

The following summarizes some aspects of the present disclosure toprovide a basic understanding of the discussed technology. This summaryis not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of thedisclosure, and is intended neither to identify key or critical elementsof all aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any orall aspects of the disclosure, its sole purpose is to present someconcepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in summary form as aprelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The present application discloses systems and methods for roboticinspection of above-ground pipelines. Embodiments may include a roboticcrawler having a plurality of motors that are individually controllablefor improved positioning on the pipeline to facilitate imageacquisition. Embodiments may also include mounting systems to house andcarry imaging equipment configured to capture image data simultaneouslyfrom a plurality of angles. Such mounting systems may be adjustable toaccount for different sizes of pipes (e.g., 2-40+ inches), and may beconfigured to account for traversing various pipe support structures.Still further, mounting systems may include quick-release members toallow for removal and re-mounting of imaging equipment when traversingsupport structures. In other aspects, embodiments may also be directedtoward control systems for the robotic crawler which assist in thenavigation and image capture capabilities of the crawler.

In accordance with one embodiment, a pipeline inspection robot isprovided. The robot may include a housing compartment having one or moredrive control systems, imaging control systems, and power supplycomponents. The robot may further include a plurality of tracksconfigured to contact a pipe under inspection and to support the roboton an external surface of the pipe under inspection. Additionally, therobot may include a plurality of motors configured to drive theplurality of tracks, wherein at least two of the plurality of motors arecontrolled separately by the one or more drive control systems, and atleast one mounting component configured to attach one or more imagingcomponents configured to capture imaging data for the pipe inspection.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present application, amethod for inspecting an above-ground pipeline is provided. The methodmay include one or more of the steps of: mounting an inspection crawleron a pipeline under inspection, said inspection crawler including aplurality of motors configured to drive a plurality of tracks in orderto move the crawler; individually controlling the plurality of motors tocause the crawler to traverse the pipeline; adjusting the speed of oneor more of the plurality of motors while traversing the pipeline tomaintain spatial orientation of the crawler in order to capture imagedata from a plurality of azimuths; and stopping the plurality of motorsand removing the crawler from the pipeline when the inspection imagingdata is captured.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technicaladvantages of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood.Additional features and advantages of the invention will be describedhereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conceptionand specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis formodifying or designing other structures for carrying out the samepurposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by thoseskilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthe invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with further objects and advantages will be better understoodfrom the following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, thateach of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration anddescription only and is not intended as a definition of the limits ofthe present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the presentdisclosure may be realized by reference to the following drawings. Inthe appended figures, similar components or features may have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type may bedistinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a secondlabel that distinguishes among the similar components. If just the firstreference label is used in the specification, the description isapplicable to any one of the similar components having the same firstreference label irrespective of the second reference label.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating details of a pipeline inspectionrobot and remote control equipment according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating example blocks of a method ofoperation for a pipeline inspection robot according to some embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a pipeline inspection robot accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B is another perspective view of a pipeline inspection robotaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic of internal component of a data interface unit ofa pipeline inspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic of external components of a data interface unit ofa pipeline inspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic of additional external components of a datainterface unit of a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cable connection between remotecontrol equipment and a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an arrangement of remote controlequipment connected to a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a screenshot illustrating user interface components forcontrolling movement of a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a screenshot illustrating user interface components forcontrolling acquisition of image data by a pipeline inspection robotaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a screenshot illustrating display of a static image formed ofimage data acquired by a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a screenshot illustrating user interface components forperforming automated scan by a pipeline inspection robot according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a screenshot illustrating user interface controls forprocessing of a static image formed of image data acquired by a pipelineinspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 14 is a screenshot illustrating user interface controls foradditional processing of a static image formed of image data acquired bya pipeline inspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 15 is a screenshot illustrating application of a filter to a staticimage formed of image data acquired by a pipeline inspection robotaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a screenshot illustrating user interface controls for furtherprocessing of a static image formed of image data acquired by a pipelineinspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 17 is a screenshot illustrating user interface controls foranalyzing a static image formed of image data acquired by a pipelineinspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below, in connection with theappended drawings, is intended as a description of various possibleconfigurations and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.Rather, the detailed description includes specific details for thepurpose of providing a thorough understanding of the inventive subjectmatter. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that thesespecific details are not required in every case and that, in someinstances, well-known structures and components are shown in blockdiagram form for clarity of presentation.

This disclosure relates generally to inspection of above groundpipelines. A pipeline inspection robot is disclosed that is configuredto convey one or more transmission sources (e.g., X-ray tubes) with oneor more detectors (e.g., linear detectors) to capture images of apipeline. The robot (also referred to as crawler) may include aplurality of motors that are individually controlled in order to allowthe robot to maintain ideal positioning for the imaging system. Further,the robot may include releasable features which allow for the removaland reattachment of imaging components to assist in the inspectionprocess. Improvements and advantages exhibited by the pipelineinspection robot include better handling of the robot, the ability toinspect a pipeline with reduced passes of the robot (and in someinstances in a single pass), the ability to utilize robotic inspectionover pipe support structures, and the ability to releasably attach anddetach components to overcome pipeline obstacles encountered during aninspection process.

Referring to FIG. 1, a pipeline inspection robot 100 and remote control.equipment 150 have various components. For example, the pipelineinspection robot 100 may have one or more motors 102, such as motorsconnected to drive tracks that move the robot to traverse the pipeline.Alternatively or additionally, the motors may drive other types oftraversal mechanisms, such as wheels, hands, feet, claws, teeth,propeller, wing, winch, fin or any other type of mechanism that can beused to motivate traversal of a horizontal or non-horizontal pipeline.Motors 102 may also include one or more of encoders or resolvers toprovide feedback to control equipment. Additionally, the pipelineinspection robot may have one or more imaging transmission sources 104(e.g., X-ray tubes) and one or more detectors 106, such as lineardetectors (collectively referred to as imaging components). Further, thepipeline inspection robot may have a control box 108.

Control box 108 of pipeline inspection robot 100 may have variouscomponents, such as power supply circuitry 110 and power cleaningcircuitry 112 to supply power to other components. Power supplycircuitry may be connected to an external power or a generator source.Inclinometer 114 may be included to sense and correct the relativeplacement of the robot on the pipeline in such a way that it stays ontop of the pipeline and levels, orients, and/or centers the robotautomatically throughout traversal of the pipeline. Motor controller 116may operate the motors 102 according to input from the inclinometer andother input from an operator that determines a speed and direction oftravel for the robot to both drive the robot and to make orientationcorrections to the robot. It is appreciated that the orientation andlevel of the robot may be desired to be maintained in as much of aconstant position as possible, such maintenance is better for uniformimaging and for the safety of the robot itself. Internal communicationcircuitry 118 may relay signals between the components of the controlbox 108. A video encoder 120 may be provided with one or more camerasthat may be disposed to capture images in an inspection. area in avicinity of the robot. The video encoder 120 may perform somepreprocessing of the captured images to encode one or more videostreams. Images captured at detectors 106 may be processed and/orencoded by separate processing circuitry within robot 100 or such datamay also be processed within video encoder 120. It is appreciated thatthe video encoder is generally utilized when the image capture devicesare in video format and the use of digital still cameras would generallyobviate the need for encoder 120. Alternatively, imaging data capturedat detectors 106 may be remotely processed as discussed in more detailbelow wither with control box 108 or at a remote station. Externalcommunication circuitry 122 may provide wired or wireless communicationwith remote control equipment 150.

Components of remote control equipment 150 may include a user interface152 and image data storage 154. In turn, user interface 152 may have acontrol interface 156 for controlling movement of the robot, and animage acquisition interface 158 that controls acquisition of image data162 acquired by the robot, display of the image data 162 in a scrollingfashion, arid conversion of the acquired image data into a static image,such as a Digital Imaging and Communication in Non-DestructiveEvaluation (DICONDE) static image 164. Additionally, user interface 152may include components 160 for processing and/or analyzing the staticimage. The illustrated interfaces comprise custom designed robot controlsoftware and image acquisition and display software. The robot controlsoftware using feedback from the motor encoders or resolvers, axleencoders and inclinometer controls speed and position of the robot onthe pipeline and precisely matches the speed of the robot with theacquisition speed of a linear detector. It may also precisely indexdistance if a field array is used.

Additional details regarding the robot 100 and remote control equipment150 are provided below with respect to certain embodiments describedwith reference to FIGS. 3-18. It is also appreciated that while variousaspects are illustrated as separate functional blocks, each of theseaspects may utilize either separate or combined computing resources suchas processors, memories, etc. Still further details regarding mechanicaland electro mechanical aspects of the robot 100 may be found in U.S.patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORINSPECTING PIPELINES USING A ROBOTIC IMAGING SYSTEM,” filed concurrentlyherewith by the Applicant. The disclosure of the above-referenceapplication is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for anyand all purposes.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a method of operation for a pipeline inspectionrobot is shown at block 200. At block 202, the method includes mountingthe robot on the pipeline under inspection. At block 204, the methodincludes controlling a plurality of motors to cause the robot totraverse the pipeline. In some embodiments, there may be four separatemotors disposed to control each track of the robot. In yet anotherembodiment, two separate motors may control a left and right set or afront and back set of tracks on the robot.

At block 206, the method includes adjusting the speed of respectivemotors to maintain proper robot orientation above the pipeline underinspection. It is appreciated that these motors may be individuallycontrolled in order to steer the robot and maintain proper orientationover the pipeline to facilitate imaging. Such control of directionalmovement may occur in response to one or more user interface inputs asdescribed herein. Adjustments may be implemented in response to one ormore feedback sources. For example, one or more sensors may be disposedon the robot (e.g. inclinometers) that provides feedback to variouscontrol systems and causes adjustments to take place. Additionally, asdescribed above, one or more cameras may be disposed on the robot whichallows a user to observe the inspection environment and steer the robotas needed. Moreover, additional sensors (e.g., optic, infrared, and thelike) may be utilized to maintain centered positioning of the robot overthe pipeline. Adjustments implemented in block 206 may be undertakenautomatically in response to feedback processing, manually by the user,or by a combination of both.

At block 202, the method includes acquiring image data by capturingimages from two or more azimuths. In some embodiments, a user mayreceive real-time image capture results which are transmitted betweencontrol box 150 and remote control 154. Further, a user may control thespeed of the directional movement of the robot during a capture phase.The speed may be controlled automatically, or based on user interfaceinputs under control of a skilled operator contemporaneously viewing thedisplayed image capture results. For example, a user may determine howmany milliseconds per line the detector captures, and then the softwarecontrols the speed of the robot accordingly. The image capture resultsmay be displayed in a scrolling fashion to permit the operator toobserve the contrast of the acquired image data. Accordingly, theoperator is enabled to adjust the speed based on the observed contrastto obtain a desired level of contrast in the image data.

At block 208, the method may optionally include detachably removing oneor more imaging components in order to traverse one or more pipelinesupport structures. For example, a robot may be required to pass apipeline support which is contacting the pipeline on the underneath sideof the pipeline. In example embodiments where one or more transmissionsources or detectors may be disposed in areas which would impact suchsupports, embodiments may provide a user with a quick means (e.g. quickrelease bolts, tabs, picatinny rail mounts, etc.) to detach a componentand allow the robot to traverse the impacted area, and then reattach thecomponent for continued inspection.

Alternatively, at block 210, the method may include traversing one ormore pipe support structures while continuing the inspection scanning.It is notable that in this embodiment, the imaging components aredisposed and configured such that the multiple scanning angles may beimaged while traversing a pipe support structure. Such a capabilitygreatly increases the efficiency of a scan and has not been previouslyavailable in prior devices.

At block 212, the method may include stopping the motors and removingthe robot from the pipeline under inspection. This deactivation may alsoinclude the deactivation of the one or more transmission sources whilestopping of the directional movement of the robot, and may occur inresponse to one or more user interface inputs as described above.

Turning now to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B and referring generally thereto, anembodiment of a pipeline inspection robot may be configured with tracks305 for traversing pipeline 304. In the illustrated embodiment, each ofthe tracks 305 may have an independent motor 306 to control speed anddirection of the individual track 305. A pair of axle position encoders302 may provide an axle angle data to a controller inside controlbox/housing component 300, which individually controls motors 306 andmay function to automatically level and/or center the robot on top ofthe pipeline 304.

In addition to motion control hardware and power supplies and otheraspects described with respect to FIG. 1, control box 300 may house oneor more X-ray tubes, such as a pair of 60 kV 12 W X-ray tubes. Thesetubes serve as radiation sources 310, as do additional radiation sources310 provided on a downwardly extended member 312. Together, theseradiation sources 310 produce X-ray beams 308 along more than oneazimuth. For example, the sources 310 are arranged so that the beams 308are directed along tangents to a circle that resides inside theinsulation and/or wall of the pipeline 304. A pair of linear detectors308 are arranged on perpendicular members that extend down beside andunderneath the pipeline 304 to receive the radiation from the beams, andeach sensor array of each detector is divided into two sensor arraysections 314 and 316 that produce separate imaging streams so that fourimages are captured contemporaneously. In the illustrated embodiment,the linear detector was selected which has an 800 micron pixel pitch inorder to obtain sufficient resolution and sensitivity for the currentembodiment, however other types of detectors may be utilized whichprovide performance suitable for the needs of the particular project.Each image stream provides a side view of a quadrant of the insulatedpipeline 304. Although four beams, four azimuths, and four arraysections are shown, it should be understood that other embodiments mayhave more or less (e.g., 2) azimuths, beams, and array sectionsdepending on particular inspection needs.

It is noted that embodiments have one or more of the perpendicularmembers on which the linear detectors are arranged may quickly detachfrom and reattach to the robot to permit traversal of a support memberof the pipeline 304 as discussed above. For example, the member thatsupports the linear detector arranged beneath the pipeline may bereattachably detachable so that a pipeline support member may be clearedduring traversal of the robot or so that the robot may be removed fromthe pipeline 304. Alternatively or additionally, the member that extendsdown beside the pipeline may detachably detach form the robot, whichaccomplishes removal of both detectors. In alternative embodiments,detectors 308 and sources 310 may be configured such that the robot maytraverse support members without stopping the inspection scanning.

FIG. 4 provides a schematic of some of the internal components,specifically PCB interconnect board 400A, inclinometer 4008, and motorcontrollers 400C-400D, of data interface unit 402, which may correspondto a part of control box 100 (see FIG. 1). It is appreciated that theillustrated components may be separated or combined with thefunctionality of other control/processing components. For example, asingle processing unit may be provided which handles all of the controlprocessing and interconnection of the component parts of the robot. Thearrangement of these components corresponds to the arrangement ofexternal components shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. For example, one rear end ofthe data interface unit has ports for an Ethernet umbilical 602, a trackrear left control cable 604, a track rear right control cable 606, anencoder rear signal line 608, a camera rear signal line 610, and a DCpower input 612. Additionally, an front end of the data interface unithas ports for a detector data and power connection 614, track front leftcontrol cable 616, a track front right control cable 618, an encoderfront signal line 620, and a camera front signal line 622. A cablebundle 700 (see FIG. 7) provides signal exchange between the robot and avehicle 800 (see FIG. 8) housing remote control equipment, such as arobot movement control screen and an image acquisition screen. it isenvisioned that other embodiments may have wireless communicationbetween the data interface unit and the remote control equipment.Further, one or more power sources may be located onboard the robot tofurther facilitate wireless use.

Turning to FIG. 9, user interface components for controlling movement ofa pipeline inspection robot may have one or more display regions 1000 todisplay video streams of the inspection area and controls 1002 forturning the streams and/or corresponding cameras on and off. Thesedisplay areas/cameras may be oriented in a plurality of directions. Inthe illustrated embodiment a front and rear view are shown. It isappreciated that other views and cameras may be available, e.g. lookingdirectionally left, right, and downward at different points on therobot. Another control 1004 governs forward or reverse direction oftravel of the robot, while control 1006 permits the operator to recenteran axle of the robot. Controls 108 permit the operator to start and stopthe movement of the robot, while additional controls 1010 allow theoperator to control speed of the robot, check status of the robot,configure manual inputs, and/or configure an automated mode that allowsthe operator to control the robot from a mobile device. Display regions1012 provide data to the operator, such as distance travelled, crawlerangle, and axle steering angles. It is appreciated that any additionalcontrols to implement the functionality described herein may also beprovided. For example, the cameras described above may be useful to anoperator to help move the robot and maintain the spatial orientation ofthe robot in order to capture effective imaging data. In someembodiments such assistance to a user may be provided with other typesof sensor data (e.g. electromagnetic imaging such as IR, Radar, and thelike, ultrasound, etc.). These sensor-based assistance measures mayutilize processing circuitry discussed above and provide feedbacksignals to steer the robot automatically. Additionally, andalternatively, the feedback may be provided to a user interface in amanner that allows a user to monitor conditions and data from saidsensors. It is further appreciated that each of these methods may beutilized individually or in combination to facilitate the functionalityof the robot.

Turning now to FIG. 10, user interface components for controlling imagedata acquisition by the robot include inputs for imaging parameters,scanning details, calibration information, and scrolling displayconfiguration. Display regions 1102 and 1104 provide a live energy lineand a waterfall plot. In scrolling mode, the image is displayed as it isacquired. Once the acquisition is complete, the image is displayed inthe image viewer window 1200 (see FIG. 11).

Turning now to FIG. 12, an alternative or additional user interface maybe provided to assist in the control of the image capture devices. Ascrolling display region 1300 provides a scrolling display of the imagedata as it is acquired. Detector calibration control 1302 may be used tocalibrate the detectors, and a window/level control 1304 may be used toadjust brightness and contrast of the images (which may includeadjusting the speed of the robot to allow for more or less exposure on aparticular area of pipe). Detector settings may be observed andcontrolled by component 1306, and a scan may be started or stopped bycontrols 1308. In the detector settings window a user may change varioussettings to optimize the system. For example, a user may change PixelBinning settings to combine pixels together which may increase signalsensitivity but decrease resolution. Lines per second settings allows auser to control the speed of acquisition. RCX beginning position and Endposition settings allows a user to choose a section of detector to use.Control 1310 may specify a length of the scan, which may cause the scanto end automatically once the specified length of traversal iscompleted.

Turning now to FIGS. 13-16 and referring generally thereto, the userinterface may have various controls for displaying and processing astatic image after the image data is acquired. In the illustratedembodiments, the static image is a 2D image that may have differenttools and filters applied to change the way the image is viewed and/ororiented without changing the basic characteristics of the image. Insome instances the image may be viewed in negative or positive modes.For example, under an appearance tab, various controls 1400 enable auser to window/level, invert, rotate, and adjust the image forpresentation. A user may also perform a spatial calibration to measureindications in the image. Grayscale intensity readings in differentregions may also allow a user to calculate density differences.Additionally, under an image processing tab, various controls 1500enable a user to apply various filters to the image, such as an embossfilter, as shown in FIG. 16. Also, under an annotation tab, variouscontrols 1700 enable a user to choose measurement units and annotate theimage. As shown in FIG. 16 areas of higher density (the lighter areas)which are the lead numbers and image quality indicators and areas oflower density (the dark areas) indicating pitting in the pipe wall. Theevenly spaced lighter lines are the overlapped seams in the spiralwrapped insulation jacketing. The images provided herein are of spiralwrapped insulated pipe and the dark areas displayed indicate pitting inthe pipe wall, the darker the area the more wall loss there is. Theperpendicular lighter bands at regular intervals are the overlappedseams in the insulation wrapping. The plot in FIG. 17 allows the user tomeasure grayscale levels along the line giving the user to determine theamount of wall loss.

Referring finally to FIG. 18, the user interface may also have variouscontrols 1800 under an analysis tab that enable a user to analyze theimage. For example, the user may generate a plot 1802 of greyscalelevels along a profile line 1804. Alternatively or additionally, an areameasurement tool may enable the user to measure an area of the image.

Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signalsmay be represented using any of a variety of different technologies andtechniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information,signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout theabove description may be represented by voltages, currents,electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields orparticles, or any combination thereof.

The functional blocks and modules described herein (e.g., the functionalblocks and modules in FIGS. 1 and 2) may comprise processors,electronics devices, hardware devices, electronics components, logicalcircuits, memories, software codes, firmware codes, etc., or anycombination thereof.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrativelogical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described inconnection with the disclosure herein may be implemented as electronichardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearlyillustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, variousillustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have beendescribed above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether suchfunctionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular application and design constraints imposed on the overallsystem. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality invarying ways for each particular application, but such implementationdecisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from thescope of the present disclosure. Skilled artisans will also readilyrecognize that the order or combination of components, methods, orinteractions that are described herein are merely examples and that thecomponents, methods, or interactions of the various aspects of thepresent disclosure may be combined or performed in ways other than thoseillustrated and described herein.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits describedin connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performedwith a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gatearray (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate ortransistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combinationthereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Ageneral-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with thedisclosure herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a softwaremodule executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. Asoftware module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory,EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, aCD ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Anexemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that theprocessor can read information from, and write information to, thestorage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integralto the processor, The processor and the storage medium may reside in anASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, theprocessor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in auser terminal.

In one or more exemplary designs, the functions described may beimplemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on ortransmitted over as one or more instructions or code on acomputer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computerstorage media and communication media including any medium thatfacilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another.Computer-readable storage media may be any available media that can beaccessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way ofexample, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can compriseRAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, or other optical disk storage, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that canbe used to carry or store desired program code means in the form ofinstructions or data structures and that can be accessed by ageneral-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose orspecial-purpose processor. Also, a connection may be properly termed acomputer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmittedfrom a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable,fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL), thenthe coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or DSL, are includedin the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includescompact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc(DVD), hard disk, solid state disk, and blu-ray disc where disks usuallyreproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically withlasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within thescope of computer-readable media.

As used herein, including in the claims, the term “and/or,” when used ina list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items canbe employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listeditems can be employed. For example, if a composition is described ascontaining components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain Aalone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination;B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination. Also, as usedherein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list of itemsprefaced by “at least one of” indicates a disjunctive list such that,for example, a list of “at least one of A, B, or C” means A or B or C orAB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C) or any of these in anycombination thereof.

The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable anyperson skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Variousmodifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may beapplied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scopeof the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited tothe examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded thewidest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosedherein.

Although embodiments of the present application and its advantages havebeen described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine,manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps describedin the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps,presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantiallythe same function or achieve substantially the same result as thecorresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according tothe present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended toinclude within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. Moreover, the scope ofthe present application is not intended to be limited to the particularembodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter,means, methods and steps described in the specification.

1. A pipeline inspection robot comprising: a housing compartmentincluding one or more drive control systems, imaging control systems,and power supply components; a plurality of tracks configured to contacta pipe under inspection and to support the robot on an external surfaceof the pipe under inspection; a plurality of motors configured to drivethe plurality of tracks, wherein at least two of the plurality of motorsare controlled separately by the one or more drive control systems; atleast one mounting component configured to attach one or more imagingcomponents configured to capture imaging data for the pipe inspection.2. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 1 wherein the plurality oftracks comprises four tracks and the plurality of motors comprises fourseparately controlled motors configured to drive an individual of thefour tracks.
 3. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 1 wherein the oneor more drive control systems steer the plurality of tracks such thatthe robot maintain relative orientation while the robot traverses thelength of the pipeline.
 4. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 3wherein maintaining relative orientation includes centering the robot onthe pipeline.
 5. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 3 whereinmaintaining relative orientation includes leveling the robot with thepipeline.
 6. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 1 wherein the atleast one mounting component attaches one or more imaging componentsconfigured to allow the robot to acquire images from a plurality ofapertures.
 7. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 6 wherein the atleast one mounting component includes at least one perpendicularextension having a proximal end near the robot and a distal end, saidperpendicular extension configured to mount the one or more imagingcomponents.
 8. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 7 wherein the oneor more imaging components includes a first image detector.
 8. Thepipeline inspection robot of claim 8 wherein the first image detector isconfigured to detect imaging data from multiple transmission sources. 9.The pipeline inspection robot of claim 7 further comprising a secondextension attached to the distal end of the perpendicular extension, thesecond extension configured to hold a second detector.
 10. The pipelineinspection robot of claim 7 wherein the at least perpendicular extensionis configured to mount one or more image capture transmission sources.11. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 1 further comprising a quickrelease mounting component configured to releasably attach at least partof a mounting component to remove one or more imaging components. 12.The pipeline inspection robot of claim 1 further comprising one or moreof cameras and sensors configured to provide feedback data to assist inthe movement of the robot.
 13. The pipeline inspection robot of claim 1wherein the robot is configured to traverse a pipe support whilecapturing image data.
 14. A method for inspecting an above-groundpipeline, said method comprising: mounting an inspection crawler on apipeline under inspection, said inspection crawler including a pluralityof motors configured to drive a plurality of tracks in order to move thecrawler; individually controlling the plurality of motors to cause thecrawler to traverse the pipeline; adjusting the speed of one or more ofthe plurality of motors while traversing the pipeline to maintainspatial orientation of the crawler in order to capture image data from aplurality of azimuths; and stopping the plurality of motors and removingthe crawler from the pipeline when the inspection imaging data iscaptured.
 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, detachablyremoving one or more imaging components to traverse one or more pipesupport structures on the pipeline under inspection.
 16. The method ofclaim 14 further comprising, traversing one or more pipe supportstructures while capturing image data from a plurality of azimuths. 17.The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving inclinometer dataand controlling one or more of the motion and positioning of thecrawler.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein controlling positioningincludes adjusting the level of one or more tracks of the crawler abovethe pipeline.
 19. The method of claim 17 wherein controlling positioningincludes adjusting the speed of one or more tracks of the crawler. 20.The method of claim 17 wherein said adjusting is implementedautomatically by control systems of the crawler to maintain a desiredorientation of the crawler above the pipeline.